PLAYING HIDE-AND-SEEK
When I was a kid, one of my favorite games was hide-and-seek. My siblings and I would take turns: One of us went upstairs and counted to twenty, while the rest hid downstairs under boxes, in the furnace room, or in the closet. I liked hiding more than seeking. The...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 135: THREE TRAPS LEADERS FALL INTO
Leadership is a journey fraught with peril. Numerous traps await even the best of pastors and business leaders. In today’s episode, John and Jim explore three of the most common pitfalls that threaten to ambush a leader, and what he/she can do to avoid getting...
ESCAPING LEADERSHIP TRAPS
Leading an organization is invigorating, an honor, a privilege, a huge responsibility . . . and at the same time, often fraught with peril. Hidden traps exist that threaten to at a minimum, derail a leader, or worse, take him or her out. Here are three of the most...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 134: FOUR SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE OUT OF RHYTHM
It’s possible to be seriously out of rhythm in your life and not know it. In today’s episode, John & Jim unpack four dashboard lights we can pay attention to that might signal arrythmia is present in our life. Here are the show notes: Four Dashboard Lights to...
WHEN RELATIONSHIPS DISAPPOINT
Disappointment is the gap between our expectations and our reality. The bigger the gap, the more disappointment we feel. The more disappointment, the more pain we experience. Nowhere does disappointment seem to rear its head more than in relationships. When I take...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 133: THE SECRET TO A GREAT DAY OFF
How does a leader take a great day off? What are some elements? Leaders are asking this question more and more. In today’s episode, John and Jim unpack the answers to these most important questions. Here are the show notes: Chuck Swindoll: “Why do we have such a hard...
FOUR SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE OUT OF RHYTHM
The Converge Coaching team talks with our clients a lot about rhythms. Spiritual rhythms—prayer, study of the word, journaling etc. Work/rest rhythms—daily, weekly, quarterly, annually. Friendship rhythms. It’s possible to be out of rhythm in our personal life or work...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 132: INTERVIEW WITH JOSH SPURLOCK – PART 2
In today’s episode we welcome back Josh Spurlock to the podcast. In part two of our interview, we explore how to humanize the role of pastor and how a leader can get/stay healthy as they begin to dream, strategize, and grow again. Here are the show notes: Josh, you...
THE SECRET TO A LIFE-GIVING DAY OFF
How does a leader take a great day off? I think leaders are wondering about this question more and more, and today’s post is my attempt to answer it. Chuck Swindoll has some pretty sage advice on the subject of a weekly day off: “Tell me, why do we have such a hard...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 131: INTERVIEW WITH JOSH SPURLOCK – PART 1
In today’s episode we welcome back Josh Spurlock to the podcast. In part one of our interview, Josh unpacks the current leadership landscape in terms of mental and emotional health; the silver lining issuing out of the struggles of the past two years, and the core...
THE VALUE OF MEANINGFUL VALUES
A church or a business won’t get to their goal without fuel—the culture created by meaningful values provides that fuel. Core values are behaviors that shape the culture of an organization. If vision answers the question where, and a playbook answers the question...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 130: THE VALUE OF MEANINGFUL VALUES
A church or a business won’t get to their goal without fuel—the culture created by meaningful values provides that fuel. In today’s episode, John and Jim unpack what values are, what they mean, and why they matter. Here are the show notes: In Pods 127, 128, and 129,...
PLAYING OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE
Today we welcome Jaime Hlavin back to the blog. For the past two years, the majority of church leaders have been "playing defense." Visioning, strategizing, and team-building took a back seat to . . . survival. Our sense at Converge Coaching is the pendulum is...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 129: THE RIGHT PLAYERS WITH THE RIGHT STUFF
You can have an enticing goal line, a brilliant playbook—but without the right players in the right positions, you won’t get to your destination. In today’s episode, Jim and John unpack how to discover and release the right players into the right roles. Here are the...
THE REFRESHING SOUND OF RAIN
Working from the home office today and listening to the rhythmic beat of rain landing on the roof. Why do I love that mesmerizing sound so much? Why is it so soothing? The steady pounding of rain takes me back to fond memories of vacations with Laura and the boys....
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 128: A PLAYBOOK THAT MOVES YOUR ORGANIZATION TOWARD ITS VISION
Creating and casting a compelling vision is great, But a compelling vision without an easy to follow playbook leads to frustration. Today’s pod unpacks a simple approach to creating a winning playbook for the organization you lead. Here are the show notes: Using a...
NAVIGATING TRANSITIONS – PART 3
After a two month hiatus, Jaime Hlavin rejoins the blog today with a wonderful post on the subject of transitions. This is part three of her series on this most important and relevant subject. Enjoy ~ John Each year, our Ministry Network runs a conference for our...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 127: GETTING BACK TO VISION
During recent conversations with leaders, along with internal conversations here at Converge Coaching, we’re sensing that the dark cloud that’s hung over churches during the pandemic may be dissipating. We’re making no predictions of course, but our perspective is...
GETTING BACK TO VISION
During recent conversations with leaders, along with internal conversations here at Converge Coaching, we’re sensing the dark cloud that’s hung over churches during the pandemic may be dissipating. Many challenges have confronted pastors during this two-year stretch,...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 126: WHAT I LEARNED ON VACATION
In today’s episode John and Jim unpack three revelations John received while on his recent vacation. Rediscovering what fills up your emotional tank and make that the centerpiece of your annual time away will help you achieve the admirable goal of leading better,...
HOW TO FILL YOUR EMOTIONAL TANK
If you’re an adult, you are responsible for your mental and emotional well-being. No one else is. During the month of February, we’ve been blogging about mental and emotional health. We’ve explored How to Become Your Own Best Friend; Discover the Power of...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 125: INTERVIEW WITH KARL VATERS – PART 2
Today Jim and John continue their conversation with Karl Vaters. Karl pastors a vibrant church in California. His heart is to help pastors of small churches find the resources to lead well, and to capitalize on the unique advantages that come with pastoring a small...
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM ABUSE
Today’s post is a continuation of our February blog series on mental and emotional health. In it I tackle a subject most of us would rather avoid—protecting ourselves from abuse. In 2 Timothy 4:14-15 the Apostle Paul wrote to his young apprentice, Timothy, “Alexander...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 124: INTERVIEW WITH KARL VATERS – PART 1
Over 90% of churches in the United States are 200 and under in attendance. In today's episode, we interview Karl Vaters, a pastor of a healthy church in California. Karl’s heart is to help pastors of small churches find the resources to lead well, and to capitalize on...
DISCOVER THE POWER OF ASSERTIVENESS
This is our second segment on the subject of the mental and emotional health. It’s February and in many regions of North America, Seasonal Affective Disorder is in full swing, so we thought it would be good to do four weeks of blogs specifically focused on mental and...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 123 SHOW NOTES: HOW IDENTITY IMPACTS YOUR LEADERSHIP
We spend a lot of time on the podcast talking about identity and its impact on our leadership. In today’s episode, we take a deep dive into how working from a more accurate sense of identity helps us get and stay healthier as leaders, and the powerful influence it has...
BECOME YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND
We live in a time where depression, anxiety, and suicide are on a rapid rise in the United States. The CDC came out with this stunning report: In July 2020, 1 in 4 young adults in America ages 18-24, contemplated suicide due to the pandemic. That’s a 300% increase...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 122 SHOW NOTES: THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I LEARNED IN 2021
Every year, as the year unfolds, I try to keep track of the most important lessons of that year. My intention is to learn those lessons and carry them into the next year. Here are the three most important things I learned in 2021. Lesson 1: What worked in one season...
WHAT BEING A PAPA HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT GOD’S LOVE
I’ve been a papa for almost four years. Our fourth granddaughter was born four weeks ago. The same magnetic force I felt holding our first three granddaughters in my arms was repeated once again with granddaughter number four! She is a beauty, a sweetheart, and so...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 121 SHOW NOTES: THE IMPACT OF 2020-2021 ON PASTORS’ KIDS
Today we welcome Aaron Hlavin to the podcast. Aaron is the District Superintendent of the Michigan District of the Assemblies of God. He previously served as a Lead Pastor for thirteen years, and an associate pastor for ten years. We invited Aaron to talk with us...